Sure, there are big games on the schedule this week.
Michigan-Michigan State, Florida-Georgia and Ohio State-Penn State stack for the best Saturday of the year on paper.
But neither of them is the game of the week by my estimate. For that, we are going to something that only the most degenerate among us will be willing to participate.
© Joseph Cress / Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY Network
Consider Iowa and Wisconsin, which has a total of 37 in Sports betting YES. If that seems low to you, dear reader, I am here to remind you that it certainly is.
You see, we’re in a weird air here.
This game is among the lowest totals of the last decade. Only 16 totals have closed at 37 points or less since 2010 (nine of them have been 36.5 or less, which is where this total opened in some books), according to Covers.com.
Of the 16, only five have finished. Of the nine, only one made it to the end. The lowest was Missouri-Vanderbilt in 2015, which closed at 34 and Vanderbilt won, 10-3.
The last sub-37 total in that span was actually last season, when Army-Navy was played in the fog and the final score of 15-0 ended well below number 36. Speaking of Army, Wisconsin’s game against those Black Knights earlier this season closed at 37.5 (the minors cashed in that game when the Badgers won, 24-10).
Both teams have an MO of running the ball. Only eight teams run the most ball per game on average and most of them are squads based on triple options. Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst actually installs pretty complex passing concepts, they just choose not to use them instead of … this:
Both offenses range in the 90 available yards gained and both defenses are in the top 5 of available yards allowed. They don’t move the ball, but neither do you.
It is a force that stops and meets an immovable object.
Despite the hilarity surrounding this game, I’m sorry to report that the game has legitimate stakes on the Big Ten West race as we all try to figure out who will be the blood sacrifice for the winner of the Big Ten East (probably Ohio State). in the conference. championship game.
The stakes could have been even higher if Iowa, which had been in the top five, had not lost to Purdue. There could be a three-way tie for the top of the West if Wisconsin wins this game and Iowa beats Minnesota in a couple of weeks.
Something has to give in this game. Unless we have another Big Ten fight in nine overtime hours, I’m not sure what it will take to bring this total to the bottom.
Money Line Odds Bet: Wisconsin (-163)
Unless the Hawkeyes churn out some defensive turnovers, I’m not sure they have enough if do I need to throw the ball.
It would be very appropriate if this game came down to a field goal, so I’ll take the hook here.
Bet Over / Under: Under 37 (-110)
We are going to be weird.
Prop Bet: Spencer Petras under 187.5 passing yards (-113)
While he has surpassed that number multiple times this season, the Wisconsin defense is a very different proposition for that pursuit.
Check the odds in SI Sportsbook
More betting and college football:
• Breakdown of College Football Futures
• Introduction to betting on the third game of the World Series
• Thursday night soccer player props
• Jim Harbaugh is having fun
• Compound bets Week 9
Get fantasy and betting analysis delivered to your inbox when you sign up for the Winners Club newsletter: SI.com/newsletters
www.si.com
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.